<p>So I know a few of us have juniors. With all the various joys and concerns that come with that particular year of high school *not the least of which is the start of the college search/apply process.</p>
<p>So I thought I'd start a thread for us to share stories/frustrations/questions.</p>
<p>Here's my question of the moment: Has everyone gotten their PSAT scores already?
(Because 7D1 has not.)</p>
<p>Yep, and how’s this for attitude: I didn’t pay much attention to the PSAT because I know we’re going to be full-pay for college. How do you make that bug-eye emoticon? Clearly, kid thinks MERIT and FA are synonyms. Wonder what else he’s got wrong.</p>
<p>Also curious. CK doesn’t feel junior year is any better or worse than the two previous years, does not feel more pressure. Anyone else’s kid convey that?</p>
<p>Making plans for a Cali college tour at Spring Break…</p>
<p>@Seven, have u contact the school about the missing PSAT score? GMTs1 got his PSAT score a month ago. He did quite well on it and will be taking SAT this month to get it out of the way. We’re praying he’ll make NMF so merit money will follow.</p>
<p>Thanks to GMT I now know how to express what I was feeling in post #2, but too late to edit:</p>
<p>:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: (to infinity)</p>
<p>My S is complaining about the increase of work and stress in this Jr. year. He’s a bit of a worrier anyway so the best solution to that is to be organized. He studied a lot over winter break and he put a list of colleges together for spring break tours.</p>
<p>I’ll join in–I’ve been mostly lurking. D2 is a new boarding junior at an east coast hidden gem. She’s also on track for NMSF and will be taking the SAT this month. I somehow doubt that she’ll end up at a school with much merit money, but D1 has a full tution scholarship from being an NMF, so you never know. </p>
<p>So far she’s handled the transition from public school pretty well. She thoroughly enjoyed her winter break but was also looking forward to getting back.</p>
<p>We too will be doing college visits during spring break. It’ll be interesting to do this process from afar, as D1 was at home. One of the things I’m curious about–I assume college mail comes home, so how does it work opening letters around accepance/rejection time?</p>
<p>@GMT: I did write to the school back in Dec. They replied that they send them out as soon as they receive them. Oh well. I was looking at PSAT for indicator about general competitiveness for college applicant pool. 7D1 did take Dec SAT and scores seem in line with even the most selective schools, so guessing PSAT will be strong as well.</p>
<p>I don’t belong on this thread, but I’m now a CC addict and looked at it anyway. 
Quick question before I leave: do Nat. Merit scholarships now bring in real money? I had one many years ago, but it was not worth much as I recall.</p>
<p>There are schools known to offer good merit $. There’s a thread dedicated to that subject. Also this is a big topic on parents HS class of 2015 right now.
I’v also learned during D13 college process last year that good PSAT/SAT scores can help an applicant get into honors colleges even if your student isn’t a NMF.</p>
<p>Thanks! I will go search for info (as I should have before asking, sorry).</p>
<p>ChoatieMom, I feel your pain. My DD has taken PSAT every year since freshman year, and was even in a PSAT prep class this year (thru her school). In spite of this her score actually DROPPED this year. Her response very similar to your kid’s. Since we prob won’t qualify for Need-based FA, merit aid is the main chance we have of getting help paying for college, which we need (help that is). I feel like doing the Homer Simpson/Bart interaction - grab by throat and shake Aaaaaargh</p>
<p>@7D, no doubt your D1 did great on the PSAT! Hey, did u ever find out the mid-atlantic BS cutoff for NMSF? Is it the same as the NEngland BS cutoff?</p>
<p>Yowsa, was just patting myself on the back for S2 finally hitting the SUBMIT button for his prep school apps, when I received an email from S1’s BS-- a hello from the college counselor welcoming us to the college app process. Sigh…</p>
<p>I got that “welcome” package email as well. It wasn’t very welcomed to me. 
I just got her in prep school and now I’ve gotta think about college??? Kicking and screaming…</p>
<p>D spent a full day during break doing the CC homework that was given, tons of essay questions on the naviance site.</p>
<p>@GMT: From what I could find on the intrawebs…the Mid-Atlantic cutoff for Class of 2014 was 224, same as New England. Don’t think they’ve published (or determined?) cut-off score for 2015 yet.</p>
<p>This just in: the PSAT score reports for all SAS students were delayed in delivery, but are sitting in student mailboxes as I type this. 7D1 returns to school later today, after an ortho visit…so hopefully she’ll share whatever the news is with her mom and me tonight.</p>
<p>Sudsie: My d says that seniors at her boarding school have been receiving their college decisions in their school mailboxes…</p>
<p>Uh oh…DS complained vaguely that the college counseling office had emailed him about getting something done over break. He didn’t want to do it (burn out, just wanted a break from everything) and I don’t think he did. I bet it was the Naviance essays Neato mentioned… Well - I’m sure they’ll coax those essays out of him now that he is back at school. Nice that I do not have to nag!</p>
<p>Yep, DS was also doing Naviance related work in the last days of break. Just glad he was able to get in and to his school yesterday! I guess it won’t be long before the Naviance matrix becomes a part of our lives.</p>
<p>Wife’s report from Middletown included a strong PSAT score waiting in daughter’s inbox as well as an observed happiness to be back at school. I think 7D1 also has “homework” from the CC office to tackle this month…Naviance stuff I assume.</p>
<p>Regarding the stress of junior year…while I think my daughter finds her math class EXTREMELY challenging this year, I think in general she’s doing fine. I attribute this at least partially to two factors: A) Dropping her dual-language track from frosh/soph year (she had met the requirement in one of the languages and is continuing with the other one) opened up her schedule and allowed her to finally take a few electives this year; B) A relative “out of the loopness” with regard to peer buzz about test scores and college application process and the stress that can come with it.</p>